A Disney Artist Comes Into Her Own

Mary Blair now has her own website. This is a giant leap forward for a woman whose name was virtually unknown to the general public during her lifetime, but whose reputation has grown with each passing year. Walt Disney had the highest regard for her work, and her bold use of color and charming character designs had a profound influence on a number of movies we all saw (including Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan) and attractions we attended at Disneyland, notably It’s a Small World. Insiders and colleagues knew how talented she was, but it’s only in recent years that her name has come to the forefront among animation aficionados. John Canemaker’s book The Art and Flair of Mary Blair (Disney Editions, 2003) had a lot to do with that; nowadays, her original artwork commands lofty prices at animation auctions. She was also part of the Disney tour to—

And now, Mary’s nieces Maggie and Jeanne have launched a site which includes a gallery of their aunt’s beautiful and distinctive artwork, which they have also turned into a select line of merchandise and art reproductions. It’s well worth a look at www.magicofmaryblair.com.

The site also pays tribute to Mary’s husband, fellow Disney artist Lee Blair, and his talented brother Preston Blair, who made his mark on animation at several studios (including MGM, where he brought Tex Avery’s sexy redhead to life) and left a lasting impression on several generations of aspiring animators through his popular Walter E. Foster book on the fundamentals of animation. There was no other book like it for decades.

One of Mary’s murals is on display at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, which is just one more reason to make that a destination if you’re doing any traveling this summer. You can also purchase Mary Blair merchandise there, including a beautiful catalog that was prepared for a major exhibition of her work in Japan not long ago. www.disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/